Piscotty: Gratitude through grief
Athletics outfielder finds comfort in larger baseball family after mother’s death
OAKLAND – Enduring the most difficult ordeal of his life, Stephen Piscotty has found comfort in the embrace of the larger baseball family.
The Athletics outfielder returned to action Tuesday, two days after the death of his mother, Gretchen, and was greeted with a standing ovation before his first at-bat, along with applause from his teammates and the opposing Astros.
Piscotty responded by rifling a single to right-center and later made a sparkling catch in right field.
“It was a special moment,” Piscotty said Wednesday in his first public comments since his mother died Sunday at 55 from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. “I got in the box there and I hear the crowd start to roar and I stepped out. I just wanted to acknowledge them and say thank you for all the support the A’s community has given me.
“The Astros were great. They sent me a little card before the game. I wanted to acknowledge them. It was a special moment.
“My dad was there and I had some other family. It was a cool moment. I know my mom was watching.”
Piscotty and the A’s have established a donation fund to raise money for ALS research — www.youcaring.com/pis cotty — and he was touched to find out Cubs pitchers Jon Lester and Yu Darvish have already contributed $10,000 each.
Wearing an A’s hat with the word “Mom” inscribed above the bill, Piscotty said returning to the game so quickly after losing his mother was cathartic for the family. His dad sat in the bleachers behind him in right field and joined in the fans’ traditional banging of drums.
“It felt good for my family to have something to cheer about,” said Piscotty, 27, “and it felt good for me to get right back where I belong, but I’m about to take some time and go through that grieving process.”
Piscotty was in the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale but will be placed on the bereavement leave list and miss this weekend’s games against the Yankees in New York. He plans to rejoin the club for its following series in Boston.
Piscotty has played all season with the burden of knowing his mother was dying from a cruel and relentless disease, but he’s thankful he was nearby to lend a hand. The Bay Area native was traded in the offseason from the Cardinals to the A’s, primarily for baseball reasons but also in part to get him closer to home.
His mother was diagnosed with ALS in the spring of 2017, and the disease progressed quicker than the family expected.
“I can’t imagine being a thousand miles away or in a different place, not being around with all that’s been going on,” Piscotty said. “The trade has meant the world to me, and I know it did to my mom. Being able to share every last moment together is something that just warms my heart. I’m so grateful for it.”
He still has more than half a season to navigate through his grief. The first day, at least, was bearable.
“All day I never felt alone,” he said. “I felt someone with me. It was her.”